CJ has been following our blog for sometime and so appreciate her. Please, head on over to her blog, click the link above, and send her some love.

CJ,. your prize, and handy work, will appear on Wednesday. This will be part of our...

BRAND NEW SITE!

That's right...come Wednesday, something we have been working on for some time will launch, and your tagline will be up, in all it's glory! However, I did make a few chances, editors privileges you know. Hope you wont mind!

A few years back, (wow - a few years!) I printed a post about water safety. I written mostly out of sadness and frustrations, after watching the local news programs. And, in the several years now, that I have been posting, this (unedited) version, from a few years back, is the ONLY time I have gotten a (semi) negative comment on a post. It was from another Dad blogger who had a family member who'd almost drowned, and was now a paraplegic. I never meant to offend, or hurt anyone, ever. Only to help by bringing attention to a huge problem in our area, and what should be huge, across the nation.

Here it is, edited and revisited for current times.

You can see, even Bella has stayed current LOL!

Happy Fatherhood Friday & Happy Summer!

WARNING: This is Fatherhood Friday & Good Friday but the following is NOT a feel good posting. BellaDaddy's sharing important info on water safety. Therefore, if you were looking for a feel good, make you wanna smile all day type of posting, head on over to DAD EXCHANGE...plenty to read and feel good about there.

Here? Let's just say, someone needs to write this, and MORE need to read it.

Every year around this time, our local news is flooded with drownings and near drownings. ALL of which should NEVER have even come near to happening. Sadly, it does.

Every year, I sit and watch, tempted to change the channel or turn off the news altogether, simply because I find it extremely difficult to comprehend. HOW on earth do people lose track of their kids, even for that spilt second? No Clue. Every year, it is the same. Gates left open. No Gates at all. Parents napping while toddler crawls out doggie doors...etc...etc...etc...I will never be one to point fingers, however, I cannot advocate stupidity. We should ALWAYS be watching our kids...regardless of how tired, overworked, busy, etc...ALWAYS!, hoping, praying that this never happens to us, or anyone we know.

So, with that being said, please review the following tips. And remember,

PLEASE WATCH YOUR KIDS AROUND WATER!!

Drowning Threat

In many states, drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for children one through four years age.

Children drown in pools, spas, buckets, toilets and bathtubs. A child can drown in as little as two inches of water.

A child can drown in less time than it takes to answer the telephone.

67% of all drowning deaths occur in their own backyard pool, spa or hot tub.

The majority of drowning incidents occur while the caretaker assumed the child was safely indoors.

25% of all children who have drowned or nearly drowned have had swimming lessons.

The risk of a drowning or near drowning is highest during the first six months a family has a pool.

For every drowning, an additional five near drowning cases are treated in the emergency room. Irreversible brain damage occurs in 3 to 5 minutes.

In California there are more than 330 people with irreversible brain damage because of near drowning incidents. Of this total more than 75 people are currently hospitalized at a cost of $120,000 per year for life.

Drowning is a silent killer. The victims don't cry for help. They are not getting enough air to breathe, so they don't have the extra air needed to call for help.

Drowning Prevention Tips

There is no substitute for adequate supervision. Children need to be watched. Never leave children unattended in or around pools or spas - not even for a second. Although accidents do happen, these particular types can be/should be, minimized!

Access to the pool or spa area should be limited by locked doors, windows and self closing, self latching gates on fences surrounding the pool. Latches should be above the reach of children.

Do not allow children to play in pool areas. Keep toys out of the area.

Keep rescue equipment such as a long handled hook and a ring buoy with a rope hanging near the pool.

Many floatation toys are thought to be lifesavers but they are not! They are only toys and should be used only as toys and with adult supervision.

Install a phone by the pool so you can answer it without leaving children unattended.

Always keep chairs, tables, or toys away from the pool or spa fence to keep children from using them to climb over.

Do not allow anyone of any age to swim alone. Drowning happens to adults too. When you are entertaining a group of children or adults, have a designated pool watcher who is responsible for keeping track of everyone.

Examples of safe water behavior by adults are important for young children.

Always completely remove a pool or spa cover before use to avoid the possibility of anyone being trapped and drowning under the cover.

Have members of the family take a swim class and learn CPR.

Pools Inspection List

Is the fence childproof with bars not more than 4 inches apart? If it is a chain link fence, the diamond shaped opening should be no larger than 1 3/4 inches.

Are the gates self-closing and self-latching? The self latching mechanism should be out of the reach of children. Is the self-latching mechanism at least 54 inches, from the bottom of the gate? If less than 54 inches, the latching mechanism should be located on the pool side of the gate.

Are all the gates kept locked?

Are all exit doors and windows leading from the house to the pool kept locked and secured?

Are pool rules posted in a visible location?

Is rescue equipment kept near the pool? A ring buoy with an attached line and/or a long handled hook.

Is the pool cover completely removed or properly installed? Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place.

Are steps and ladders leading to an above ground pool secured, locked or removed when the pool is not in use?

Are there plenty of approved PFD's (Personal Flotation Devices) available?

Are the diving board and any slides in safe operating condition?

Does the hot tub or spa have a solid, locking cover, and is the cover in place and locked when the spa or hot tub is not in use?

Is your pool surrounded by a 5 foot 6 inch high or higher fence or barrier?

Bella woke, jumped out of bed, and excitedly proclaimed it a Special Day.

"Happy Fathers Day, Daddy & Papa. I love You"

Fathers day around these parts usually starts out with Daddy making pancakes, Bella and Papa snarf em down, and then Daddy starts Laundry. Yeah I know, Laundry. But hell, it has to be done. Papa will go out and mow the lawn.

We exchange cards and gifts at breakfast. Bella presents cards that she made in school. The cards are actually bookmarks, feature her picture, and little hand created artwork. So special!

We made reservations at a new restaurant. New for us. We like taking the little one out to lunch...at different place. Her favorite is Chili's. Oh well...as she grows, so will her taste buds LOL. Today though, was Italian Fusion Japanese. (don't even try to figure that one out. Trust me, it was Yummy).

I like to reflect on this day. (hell, I reflect everyday) Imagine her as an infant. Oh man, what on earth did we do then? It seems so long ago,, and yet, she is barely going to be five years old. Being a stay at home parent, the days run into each other...and then, BAMM! She's in college! (exaggeration, I realize, but you get the idea.) Cherish every moment, even if those moments are blurred by laundry.

I've taken thousands of pics throughout her short, fun filled, clothing/shoes jammed life, and some of those are featured here. Who am I kidding? MANY of them have been seen here. Pics. Videos. All of it. Who can blame me?

We have a special family. When Bella was born, she was one of only 800 or so families, WORLDWIDE, to be born into a family such as ours. I'd say that makes our little family pretty darn unique.

We don't treat her as such,. She is a girl. Part of a small, loving family. No different than our neighbors down the street. But. In the back of our minds, we know. She IS special. She doesn't realize it yet...but she will. We can wait for that day.

Fathers Day is that day. the one where you want everything to go smoothly. It is MY day, after all. But, in the grand scheme of things....it is like any other Sunday. We have chores. We have to eat. We have to play. We argue,. Daddy yells...*SIGH* Another day.

BUT.

THAT day. To remember Fathers Day past. Fathers Day! Dream of the future!

WE ARE FATHERS! Sometimes it still sends me reeling. Thinking that we, Papa and I, are Dads!

Pretty Damn Good Dads Too!

When she runs up, plants a small kiss on our cheeks, and tells us she love us...damn it, we just frikkin melt. WE MELT! She knows what it means to love, and we are the fortunate recipients of that love. We didn't have to teach her, she knows it. The feelings She knows when to express it. She feels the love in her heart, and WE brought this little one to life. Through our own Love.

We ended the day with BellaDaddy BBQing Chicken Shish Kabobs outside. A rarity. (it's HOT here) Even had to go buy a small tabletop (cheapy) grill. But, heya, gets the job done. Small Family + Rarely BBQ = Small Cheapy Grill! We watched a movie, had some ice cream...and DAY DONE!

Hoping you had a SUPER FANTASTIC FATHERS DAY...To ALL the Amazing Dads out there...EVERYWHERE!